He doesn’t think Gaston County has yet seen the full effects of the situation.

But be forewarned, Grant expects the blood-sucking pests to strike with a vengeance.

As mosquito eggs laid in recently-fallen rainwater have time to develop, he expects to receive more calls from homeowners irritated with flying blood suckers.

“I think people are going to start seeing them emerge within the next couple of weeks,” he said.

So far, he said the local mosquito situation is typical for the summertime, and comparable to the past few years.

He finds the insects living under plant leaves, in high grass, clogged gutters, and around flower pots.

“Aself-watering flower pot where the water holds in the bottom and absorbs into the soil makes a great place for mosquitoes to breed,” he said.

He’s also come across mosquito eggs in bird baths, fountains in yards, barrels, and even low spots in yards where water collects.

A step toward the solution is getting rid of the items that hold water outside.

But for residents ready to try pesticides, his company mists a chemical outdoors intended to control mosquitoes for three or four weeks.

He said it costs about $50 to service a typical yard. Customers can choose to have exterminators return regularly.

Temporary fix

Spraying yards for mosquitoes is only a temporary fix to the problem of mosquito infestation, said Phil Nixon, president of Nixon Exterminating Inc. in Gastonia.

He recommends residents search their yards for standing water and eliminate the source of mosquito breeding.

Mosquito control service is not a priority for his business. But he’s been out on a few calls over the years to find where mosquitoes are breeding in local lawns.

A customer once complained of mosquitoes but could not find where they came from.

He found a barrel with standing water in the bottom and peeked inside. The insects frantically darted toward him, fleeing the water.

Mosquito control sprays are available in stores and through websites. Nixon said there is an environmentally-safe tablet about the size of a silver dollar that he has used in the past. It’s supposed to kill mosquito larvae in standing water.

“If you spray the air, you’ll kill them for a half a day or a day,” he said. “If you don’t eliminate the source, which is standing water, they’re going to come right back.”